Chapter 21: Yue Zhaolin was blossoming everywhere
[7F] The person on the 2nd floor has time to complain here but can’t be bothered to just click “Not Interested”?
Also, looking down on Douyin users—what a joke. Little do they know the place they hang out is the real cesspool everyone wants to avoid.
[11F] The fans are here again.
Xingqiong’s tactics are still effective—create the illusion of popularity, and with enough inflated stats over time, fake hype eventually becomes real.
[13F] A textbook example of capital manufacturing a star.
But some people are just eager to be fooled and fawn over capital. Nothing you can do about that.
[14F] I’m starting to think Starlight exists just to prop him up. None of the past talent shows ever went this far.
All this fuss just to push Yue Zhaolin—they’ve practically wrapped Starlight up and handed it to him.
[16F] Honestly? It might be true.
The scale of this is insane—who wouldn’t want a life like his?
[17F] Features that appeal across all ages, facial muscles that hold up even in exaggerated expressions, and movement that’s even more stunning than still photos.
Just those three things—how many people in today’s entertainment industry can compare?
As much as I hate to admit it, any entertainment company would promote Yue Zhaolin just for that face.
[18F] …So brutal.
[20F] What’s scariest is—Yue Zhaolin isn’t just a pretty face.
That fan-shot video trending on Douyin—when he smiles, it’s too captivating. A perfect example of what a radiant smile really means…
[21F] Even though we know he only smiled like that at the fan holding the banner in the front row, and he’s usually pretty indifferent—it’s still hard not to be drawn in.
[24F] The preferential treatment is real.
After the performance, everyone had to take the production team’s bus back. He sat by the window and only waved at the fan holding the banner.
He really only flatters fans.
[29F] He’s so calculating. You can feel how badly he wants to make money.
[32F] His fans are probably losing it right now.
I checked—his Super Topic is going crazy, totally hyped up.
[34F] Preferential treatment is a kind of affection in itself. Of course the fangirls are thrilled—especially when it’s this blatant.
[37F] I said before that Yue Zhaolin is a product of capital, and sure enough, he’s already mastered fan service before even debuting.
He’s good at it—but I mean that in a bad way. It all feels so forced.
Like he was mass-produced in a factory. He just feels fake.
[39F] So what if Yue Zhaolin only acts sweet toward his fans? Is that a crime now? Did he break some sacred rule?
The general public isn’t complaining, his fans are happy—so why are you so pressed?
[41F] Oh look, the fangirls are pretending to speak for the public again?
[43F] Honestly, the general audience just doesn’t care that much.
His videos on Douyin are everywhere—like an explosion. Feels like déjà vu from the Zhaozhou Music Festival.
[46F] The so-called “neutral viewers” are just using it as an excuse to drag others down.
[47F] I watched it. Douyin commenters are savage…
Especially in the clip where all the trainees are mid-dance and start running around the stage—it’s prime drag-and-dunk territory.
[49F] The first few trainees weren’t bad-looking, but the harsh top-down lighting and lens distortion made them look weird.
Then Yue Zhaolin came out near the end and actually withstood all those visual debuffs…
[51F] Slow motion + trending BGM.
Douyin users falling for it is practically effortless.
[52F] Douyin hot comments, please enjoy:
“His looks are f*cking insane.”
“World-famous painting: Top-tier Idol, Steamed Bun, Emo Kid, Mango, Monkey, and a Lucky Random Pulled Onstage.”
“At first: When does someone become an idol?
Later: I’m in love.”
“Only my immense self-control saved Yue Zhaolin from a wild public harassment attempt.”
“Everyone… tap recommend…”
“Who leaked this footage of me?”
“Yue Zhaolin, be careful—this is exactly the age when I start catching feelings.”
[57F] …Spectacular.
[58F] Douyin really is his home turf. Witnessing the rise of the first star to blow up from Douyin.
[60F] Sorry—can someone explain the whole “Top-tier Idol and so-and-so” list?
[69F] Replying to 60th floor:
The Top-tier Idol—obviously Yue Zhaolin.
Steamed Bun is Chen Fei—probably had work done, his face looks puffy in person.
Emo Kid is Mao Ding—he’s got red hair.
Mango is Zhou Xiao—he has a slight underbite.
Monkey is Wei Lai.
The ordinary person is Fu Xunying—actually held up well under the bad lighting/distortion, but unfortunately, Yue Zhaolin was just too stunning.
These trainees don’t look bad in candid photos, but in direct comparison… well, yeah.
[71F] Douyin users live for comparisons—and when they start dragging people, nothing is off-limits.
…
[113F] He’s number one on the trending chart…
Douyin might as well change its name to “Zhaoyin” at this point.
[114F] This is the first time I’ve realized that fandom opinions mean absolutely nothing to the general public.
It feels powerless—all because of a face?
[115F] He’s seriously going to carve out a place in the entertainment industry… I hate this.
[118F] Since we’re all anonymous here, let’s be honest—anyone with a fandom bias must be feeling threatened by Yue Zhaolin, right?
Feels like his arrival is going to totally shake up the C-Ent scene.
Even I’m scared—if my fave ever stands next to him, it’ll be a public execution.
[120F] Where the hell did Yue Zhaolin come from? With a face like that, shouldn’t he have been scouted before he even hit puberty?
[121F] He seriously looks like someone born to be in showbiz.
Clean image, no girlfriend scandals; super disciplined—his face and physique have never slipped.
His singing and dancing? Definitely enough to qualify as an idol.
Even his “dirt” isn’t career-ending—just the kind that makes fans love him more painfully.
[123F] At night when I can’t sleep, I get mad at my own bias.
Why can’t he just be a little better? Why does he lose to Yue Zhaolin in every category?
[124F] You could always jump ship to Team Yuezhao.
[125F] Replying to 124th floor: I’m a hater. I can’t get over it.
[128F] The group’s gone quiet again. Guess why?
[135F] Hiding under the covers, searching “Yue Zhaolin” on Douyin… secretly watching all night long.
I don’t even feel like working on my own bias’s stats anymore.
[137F] …So are you still a hater?
[138F] Yes.
[145F] I swore I was done with survival shows—didn’t want to risk switching faves again.
But after watching a bit, I’ve gotta admit, a few of the trainees are actually pretty good.
[146F] Just pre-registered for Starlight.
[147F] By the way, wasn’t there a group talk session after the performances? The trainees all introduced themselves briefly.
When Emperor Yue spoke, there wasn’t a trace of accent—sounded like he could pass the highest level of Mandarin fluency.
[148F] He was really composed, too—no filler words like “uh” or “um.”
Honestly, if he does a historical romance one day, he might even use his own voice for the lines.
[149F] Now that I think about it, he’d be perfect for a male lead in both modern and costume dramas.
Broad shoulders, slim waist—he could wear anything and still look great.
[150F] It’s past midnight and people are still chatting—guess none of us can sleep tonight.
[151F] It’s the weekend. If I’m gonna stay up, might as well go all in.
…
…
[155F] Whoa—anyone still awake?! There’s some juicy drama!!
[156F] Still up. Whose drama??
[157F] A sasaeng’s private post—it got deleted not long after going up, but someone screen-recorded it and sent it to a gossip account.
I bet it’s going viral…
# “Sis, you really speak the truth when you’re drunk huh” [link]
Huge info dump—go watch fast.
[158F] A sasaeng? Whose?
[162F] I just clicked in—the first sentence is straight-up insulting someone, saying no matter how much she dolls herself up, the idol wouldn’t give her a second glance.
Then the other girl claps back—super harsh language too.
Sounds like… an internal fight between sasaengs?
[163F] The volume keeps going up and down—I couldn’t even tell what they were talking about. I was getting annoyed when suddenly a clear line popped out:
“Cen Chi, that little bastard.”
It’s rare to hear such blunt language in a leaked audio clip. Kind of interesting.
[164F] Who are they even cursing? I can’t remember who Cen Chi is. If it’s a D-lister, I’m out.
[166F] Wait a sec—why does the name Cen Chi sound familiar…
Oh my god, it’s him! The blond guy from God Gazes Back!
[167F] …That explains why this tea is showing up in this thread.
[168F] “Do you remember that day? He’s the one who took Yue Zhaolin’s rose and told us to ‘f*** off,’ that damn mutt.”
“Who does he think he is, Yue Zhaolin’s bodyguard?”
…Huh?
Yue Zhaolin?
Wait—hold up, does this mean Cen Chi knew Yue Zhaolin before the competition even started?!
[170F] What rose?! What’s the rose story??
[171F] Cen Chi looks like the bright, sunny type—and he actually said “f*** off”?!
[172F] From the sound of it, Cen Chi was helping draw the sasaengs away from Yue Zhaolin, and said that to them directly.
Not passing judgment, just saying.
[173F] …Kinda hot, not gonna lie. Straight-up guard dog behavior.
And a loyal one at that.
Certified.
[174F] The main voice in the audio is clearly Yue Zhaolin’s sasaeng fan. She’s slurring a bit—probably drunk, and pretty heavily too.
Doesn’t sound fake at all.
[175F] Sasaengs are attention-hungry creatures—they almost always form cliques.
From the background audio, there were clearly more people around.
No surprise it got recorded.
But what is surprising… is how this landed on the top trending topic.
Shot straight to #1?!
God help me—if this was bought by my fave’s company, someone’s getting fired bald.
[176F] It hit #1 on trending?!?
[178F] I’m still listening to the recording—there’s gold later on…
[184F] “Don’t know what his company taught him, but he’s so indifferent toward me, like some kind of young master.”
“Even Fu Xunying carries his bag.”
“Who’s Fu Xunying? The CEO of Xingqiong has the last name Fu—who do you think he is?”
[185F] Wait… what??
[187F] Huh??
Sasaengs have filmed Yue Zhaolin giving Fu Xunying attitude before, and Fu Xunying actually smiled back…?
No way—how does Yue Zhaolin dare give such treatment to someone like the actual Crown Prince?!
[189F]
…
Just imagining Yue Zhaolin cold-shouldering someone kinda gave me a rush.
[191F] …That just made him even hotter.
[193F] “Was there a re-recording? I don’t know, that guy just told me he had to work late.”
“Why’d I buy a trending topic? Because I hate him, hehe. I even planned to yell at him in person—make him reflect on himself.”
“I made him popular. Why doesn’t he try to please me?”
“I wanted to teach him a lesson.”
[197F] She bought a trending spot?! Which one?!?
Don’t tell me it’s that one about the re-recording…
[199F] This is… some seriously unhinged behavior.
[210F] If I’m understanding this right… that trending topic about the “re-recording”?
That was bought by the sasaeng?!
Just to… teach Yue Zhaolin a lesson?!
[211F] Why does she hate him that much??
[213F] She even wanted to anti him in real life—this is actual madness.
[218F] My ex-fave had a psycho sasaeng like this too. Same kind of mental state—obsessed with making the idol follow her plans.
She’d dictate his expressions, gestures, how he interacted with teammates, even which brands to collaborate with.
If he “disobeyed,” she’d lose it.
Harassing calls and leaking his ID number were the milder things she did…
[220F] I think I know who 218’s ex-fave was. Was it Li?
[221F] Li Ying?
[223F] Yep. After that sasaeng un-stanned him, it was like cutting out a tumor.
No joke, the entire fanbase could finally breathe again.
[225F] …Does anyone remember that “God Descends Tonight” account was like a cursed resurrection?
[226F] “God Descends Tonight” hasn’t been active lately…
No way. No way—are we thinking the same thing??
[227F] So the person in the audio = “God Descends Tonight” = Li Ying’s former sasaeng?!
Is that the connection here??
[231F] Dark comedy moment: Li Ying and Yue Zhaolin are currently filming a show together.
If they talk about this… it’d be the juiciest content ever.
—
[Goose Gossip Group丨Just In: “ChiYue Forever Lit” Skyrockets to #1 on the CP Ranking—Is “Starlight” Locking in a Shipping Empire?]
[Original Post]
The “Dog Master” dynamic is just too shippable.
Their stats are already crushing the “ZhaoXun” ship.
—
[Goose Gossip Group | In a Corner No One Noticed: Starlight Opens Round Zero Voting, Yue Zhaolin Leaves Everyone in the Dust]
[Original Post]
Each person gets 20 votes per day, but has to vote for at least 9 contestants. Yue Emperor has already hit a million.
In comparison, the lowest only has a few hundred.
—
[Goose Gossip Group | Starlight Releases a Statement About Holding Sasaeng Fans Accountable — Comment Section Flooded with Yue Fans Criticizing Security]
[Original Post]
RT.
In fans’ eyes, the re-recording incident now completely clears his name. Yue Zhaolin became a victim of undeserved misfortune.
Another hit of pain for fans to love him more.
—
[Goose Gossip Group | The Recording Is Both Long and Vile, Most of It Is Useless Info—But I Still Listened to Every Second Without Skipping]
[Original Post]
RT.
The version of Yue Zhaolin pieced together from that audio… is dangerously attractive.
Self-possessed, powerful, incredibly charismatic.
A laid-back dominance that still feels in total control.
There’s never been this type in C-ent before.
[1F] Already a Yue Mama — Yue Cult.
[5F] Already a Yue Husband — Yue Cult.
[6F] Already a Yue Stan — Yue Cult.
—
People who clicked into the Goose Gossip Group without context probably thought they had entered a Yue Zhaolin fan club.
Liu Li chuckled. Right now, Yue Zhaolin was blossoming everywhere. That was a good thing.
As for the sudden jump to the top of the trending list—it was Xingqiong who bought it.
From the audio recording, to its spread via marketing accounts, to landing on the hot search—it was all Liu Li’s doing. She had been keeping an eye on that sasaeng for a while.
Those earlier low-ranking trending tags? Liu Li had guessed right—they were the sasaeng’s work, intended purely as “revenge” on Yue Zhaolin.
So, if the company didn’t “return the favor,” that sasaeng might think they could b*lly anyone without consequence.
Li Ying, for instance, was held back because his manager was also his cousin, and their whole studio was a family-run operation.
But Xingqiong wasn’t like that. If they had the upper hand, they wouldn’t let it go. That had always been the company’s style.
The more impressive the artist, the more aggressive the company would be—not less. They would fight harder to secure opportunities for him.
Besides, the sasaeng was just a minor piece. Liu Li had much bigger ambitions now.
The show’s original plan was to sacrifice Yue Zhaolin as a stepping stone. But the initial evaluation had already shaken that idea. Afterward, Liu Li gave things a push, and the production team backed off even more.
Once the bottom line is pushed back once, it becomes easier to move it a second time.
But now, the show’s threshold had risen.
So Yue Zhaolin needed to bring something even more compelling to shake the production team—not just his looks, but a stunning performance.
As long as there was a breakout moment, the company would immediately follow up to amplify the buzz.
In the future, when audiences mentioned Starlight, their first thought wouldn’t be the show itself, but:
“The show Yue Zhaolin was on,”
“Yue Zhaolin’s iconic performances that went viral.”
And the first public performance would be in just two weeks—registrations would open soon.
Zhaolin, your challenge is about to begin.
What a flexible capitalist company!